Projectile.



R. L. SCOVILLEI.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-22.1916.

1,203,059. Patented Oct. 31,1916.

WITNESSES 'INVENTOR ornrn.

ROYAL I. SCOVILLE, OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROJECTILE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROYAL L. 'ScovILLE, residing at Sewickley, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvementsin Projectiles, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in projectiles and has particularlyto do with the fuse-block of a projectile: such a fuseblock as thatshown in my application for United States Letters Patent filed November1 1915, Serial No. 59,013, applied to a hand-grenade.

The objects of my present invention are economy of material, saving inweight in a portion of the structure where weight is of no value thatweight may be increased else where. and the protection of delicate andsensitive parts from accident and injury.

A hand-grenade provided with a fuseblock of my present invention-isshown in the accompanying drawings. 1

Figure 1 is a view of the grenade in medial longitudinal section; Fig. 2is a view in transverse section on a plane indicated by the line H II,Fig. 1. In Fig. 1 the fuseblock is shown in medial section, and in Fig.

2 it is shown in plan view from above. Figs. 3 and at are sectionalviews of the fuse-block detached, the planes of section being indicatedby the line Ill-J11, Fig. i, and IV IV, Fig. 3, respectively.

The grenade consists essentially of a casing 1, having formed within itan openended burster-charge chamber, a fuse-block 2, filling theotherwise open end of the burster-charge chamber, and a cover plate 3,engaging the casing and (when the parts are assembled) securing thefuse-block in place. The fuse-block carries the primer and the coverplate the firing-pin; and, at the proper instant in the use of thegrenade, the firing-pin is caused to impinge upon the primer and so tofire the train which leads to the burster charge.

It is with the fuse-block that the present invention has to do; and,having now pointed out its relative position in the structure as awhole, I shall confine attention wholly toit. v

The fuse-block is, in shape, a short cylinder or thick disk. It fitseasily in, and may he slipped in and out in its seat in, the otherwiseopen end of the hurstervcharge cham- Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 31, 1916.

Application filed January 22, 1916. Serial No. 73,7-10.

ber. It is invertible, and may be seated with either one of its oppositefaces inward.

In one of its opposite faces the fuseblock is provided with a suitableseat 4 for a percussion cap 0, and in the other face it is provided witha recess 5 for a detonator d.

It will of course be understood that the seat In the same face of thefuse-block with j the seat 4 for the primer (that is, the outer facewhen the block is in operative position) is formed a groove or channelfor a timefuse; this channel 10, as is best shown in Fig. 2. extends ina substantiallycircular arrangement around the periphery of thefuseblock, the percussion-cap seat being at the center. The channel 10is provided with a cover strip 26, and when this cover strip is appliedthe channel becomes a closed duct. A duct or flashway 9 leads from thepercussion-cap seat 4; to the fuse channel 10 at one end, and at theother end the channel 10 terminates ina perforation (best shown in Fig.4) which extends through the fuseblock and opens on the opposite side ofthe block to the detonator recess 5. A second duct or fiashwav 12 leadsfrom the percussion-cap seat 4 to the fuse channel 10, and opens to thefuse channel at a point intermediate its extent: and in this secondfiashway 12 is arranged a removable obstruction. hereshown in the formof a screwed-in stud 13. lhis stud may be adapted to be wholly removedin order to leave the flashway unobstructed, or it may have aperforation through it and adapted by being turned through an angle of90 to either close the fiashway or leave it open.

The detonator seat 5 is; as has been e plained, arranged in the face ofthe fuse.- block opposite the primer seat---tha inner face, when thefuse-block is in operat ve position. It is an open channel. ofsubstantial length and is preferably arranged (as best shown in Fig. 3)to one side from an exact diametrical position. At one end this channel5 opens through the rim of the disk, at the other endlthe perforationalready mentioned opensthe perforation, namely, which leads from thefuse channel 10. The non-diametrical arrangement of the detonator recessis in cotirdination with the central arrangement of. the percussion cap(and, accordingly, of the firing-pin) which is shown in the drawings,and it will be observed that this isan arrangement in positions ofrelative non-correspondence-that is to say, the detonator when turnedoutward will occupy a position different from that of the percussion-capseat when it is turned outward. The detonator is placed to one side ofthe center of the disk, to the end that, when the disk is introduced ininverted position, with detonator outward (the position for shipment)accidental release of the firing-pin can have no effect, to

fire the detonator. A central recess 23 may be provided in that face ofthe fuse-block which bears the detonator, for a purpose presently to bestated.

In my earlier application referred to I showed and described a boostercharge, designed to serve as an element in the train of detonation,intermediate between detonator and burster charge. Such a boostercharge, although it may be employed, is not essential; and I haveomitted it from this grenade which I here show and describe. Thedetonator seat 5 is, as I have explained, open to'the burster-chargechamber, and, using a detonator capsule of now familiar form and sizeloaded with fulminate of mercury, and a burster charge oftrinitrotoluene in crystalline form, detonation will be effected.

The fuse-blockis reduced to a minimum of weight compatible with safetyby cutting away superfluous metal, as is indicated in the spaces 27which interrupt the continuity of the disk. The block will, when madecommercially, be a casting, and of course the cutting away which I speakof is what the designer would speak of as a cutting away; there is nocutting away in fact, but the mold is so shaped so as to leave theselacunae-in the molded disk. The purpose will readily be understood. Thefuse-block is practically valueless to be fragmented on explosion intoeffective missiles; the weight of the structure as a whole is limited tosuch a weight as a man can hurl to considerable distance; and itisdesirable to make the casing (and the cover plate 3) as heavy aspossible, for they are the missileforming parts. Accordingly, given afixed maximum weight for the whole, whatever is subtracted from thefuse-block may be added to the casing.

The drawings show the fuse-block loaded.-

In loading, a length of time-fuse is laid in channel 10 from end to endand extending through the perforation and into the detonator recess 5.When the time-fuse has been put in place the cover strip 26 is appliedto channel, 10. (Being of light weight, this plate may easily be securedby frictional engagement of its edges with the edges of the seatrabbeted to receive it in the edges of the channel 10.) When the coverstrip 26 is in place, the seam between it and the edges of channel 10may be coated over with suitable moisture-proof shellac or other coatingmaterial. .The percussion cap a is set in its seat in usual manner. Thedetonator is slipped to place, the open end of the capsule taking overthe otherwise free end of the time fuse, in the manner indicated inFigs. 3 and 4. Ordinarily the detonator is not applied before ship ment,but only when the grenade is about to be used. v v

The fuse-block with time-fuse in place and cover strip applied andsealed (and, ordinarily, a percussion cap on the seat *l) is ready to beassembled for shipment. The block is introduced in the mouth of thepreviously filled burster-charge chamber of a grenade in invertedposition-that is, with the percussion cap inward and the detonatoroutward--and the cover plate 3 is applied. The detonator is thesensitive element of the machine, and is liable to premature detonation,if through chance it be subjected to some more than ori'linarily severeshock. But, with the fuse block inverted, the detonator, even thoughaccidentally fired, is ineffective to cause detonation of the burstercharge. And here it may be noted that, because of the non-diametrical'position of the detonator in the face of the fuse block, an accidentaloperation of the firing-pin (which is arranged in a central position)cannot affect the detonator. The released firing-pin will merely enterthe recess 23 formed in the face of the fuse-block to receive it.Indeed, it may be preferable to ship the grenade with the firing-pin inreleased position, resting in this recess 23, and to cock it when andnot until the grenade is about to be used. The detonator capsule willpreferably be shipped separately.

\Vhen a grenade is to beused, the firingpin is cocked. the cover plate 3is removed, the fuse-block is taken out. a detonator is applied in therecess 5 formed to receive it. The fuse-block is then replaced in normaloperative position. detonator inward and percussion capoutward. Theposition of the screw-plug 13 is then looked to; if a short timeinterval be desired between the firing of the cap and detonation of theburster charge (as, for instance, when the grenade is to he used in themanner herein primarily contemplated, as a hand-grenade),

the screw plug 13 will be turned to position leaving fiashway 12 open;but if a longer time interval be ldesired, flashway 12 will be closed byscrew plug 13, in which case the entire length of the time-fuse will bebrought into the train of operation. When the fuse-block has thus beenmade ready the cover plate is screwed on again. The parts are then inthe position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Operation need not be described, further than to say that whenthereafter, incidentally to the hurling, the flight or the impact of thegrenade, the firing-pin isreleased, it impinges on and fires thepercussion cap 0, and then the train of detonation is started The flashspurts through fiashway 9 and (if it 'be open) through fiashway 12 also,and ignites the time-fuse f. Ignition traverses the time fuse to thedetonator, and detonation follows-primarily of the fulminate of mercuryand through it of the trinitrotoluene.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. In a projectile the combination with an otherwise open-mouthedburster-charge chamber of a fuse-block filling the mouth of saidchamber, said fuse-block being provided on its inner face with adetonator recess and on its outer face with a percussion-cap seat and achannel for a time-fuse, and said timefus channel communicating bothwith the percussion-cap seat and with the detonator recess, and a coverstrip applicable as a closure over said time fuse channel.

2. In a projectile the combination withan otherwise open-mouthedburster-charge chamber of a fuse-block filling the mouth of said chamberand invertible in such position, said fuse-block being provided on oneface with a percussion-cap seat and on the opposite face witha'detonator recess, said peroussion-cap seat and said detonator recessbeing arranged in the two faces of the fuse-' block in positions ofnon-correspondence.

3. In a projectile the combination with an otherwise open-mouthedburster-charge chamber of a fuse-block filling the mouth of said chamberand invertible in such position, said fuse-block being provided on oneface with a centrally arranged percussion cap seat and on the oppositeface with "an elongate detonator recess such recess not crossing thecenter of the block.

4. In a projectile the combination with an otherwise open-mouthedburster-charge chamber of a disk-shaped fuse-block filling the mouth ofsaid chamber, said fuse-block being provided on one face with apercussion-cap seat and onthe other face with a detonator recess andwith a time fuse duct extending between said seat and said recess, thesaid disk-shaped fuse-block being cut way in that portionnot sospecially shaped as aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand.

ROYAL L. SCOVILLE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. ZAN'rzINeER, JOHN 00001011.

